Busting those common myths about expats!

Does relocating to a foreign country sound like living a dream?

Yes, no doubt it is a dream come true for many. It gives you the ability to send money, help your near and dear ones at home, and to give your family a better life. However as an expat, you miss the joys of spending time with your friends and family. Your eyes and ears always look for news and any small snippets about your home country. Sometime the people back home tend to think that an expats life is a bed of roses. Here are insights that bust common misunderstood myths about expat life.

Expats have too much money

There are often two routes to becoming an expat. Getting transferred to an international office, with a relocation package, or leaving a job to find a new one abroad. The first option is by far the most risk-free and lucrative option. Yet, if you think staying overseas and working will earn you enough money, you are mistaken. Expats have to constantly worry about losing money to fluctuating currency exchange rates. To save money, they have to invest in a prepaid travel card to lock exchange rates and protect themselves from the volatile market.

It is important to understand that when you earn in the local currency, your expenses are also in that currency and usually you need to pay for the same expenses you had back home like rent, travel, food and bills.

Expats can travel to exotic places

Being an expat, does open up opportunities to travel to different places, however, usually during your annual leave, you are torn between going home and choosing to spend time visiting countries in your present continent. Ridden with emotions you may head home once in two years, but it usually requires advance planning to get the best flight tickets. Usually, it is the cost of the trip which decides where you are headed.

Expats are on a permanent holiday

For some reason, it is assumed by family and friends back home, that you are always on vacation, just because you may be located in a vibrant city like London or Dubai. Whilst, these locations are high on the list of destinations to work, as an employee, you are often stuck in your office doing long hours. Often, you find yourself working from home to catch up with the colleagues operating in different time zones. After eating a few local dishes and doing the touristy visits, the novelty of the new culture could wear off. Many expats miss the comforts of their home country including channels on television, radio and long time friends and family.

Local language skills are needed to survive

It’s great to speak the local language to grasp the culture, the people and the local customs and traditions. But it is surprising how little of the local knowledge, most people need to know to survive or to even work in a country where they aren’t native to the culture. Although English is widely spoken around the world, don't be surprised at the power of getting by in a new country like China, by body and sign language. Humans usually find themselves pick up a survival level of communicating with each other, discarding all language barriers.

However it is strongly advisable to learn the language of the country or the area you migrate into. This will earn you brownie points in the most needed yet unexpected situations.

Need to be overseas to find my overseas job

This is not necessary at all. With the internet, one can look up opportunities online and apply for any job in the world. What helps, is experience in the profession, you are applying for. Of course, working in a multinational organisation helps for internal transfers, but more than that, companies are willing to hire the right person with the qualifications, experience and expertise and go that extra mile to arrange visa formalities and make the process easy for you.

This article looks carefully at some of the myths surrounding working life abroad. There are overwhelming benefits to working and living abroad. The key is being more adaptive and open, and you will enjoy your experiences.

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